Arsenal: ‘Wengerball’ is still alive at Arsenal, and it needs to get out of the system

It’s no secret that Arsenal are enjoying a resurgence to form with Unai Emery at the helm, but the philosophies of Arsene Wenger still linger at the club.

For all the social media attention and praise ‘Wengerball’ got during the legendary manager’s final season with Arsenal, it’s clear to see that the team are still stuck playing some of the styles Wenger laid out in his decades at the club.

This was evident in Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Newcastle, where there were many times where the Gunners played way too many passes in an attacking sequence or tried way too hard to try and walk the ball into the net.

Of course, the result is the only thing that really matters at the end of the day, and the performance overall was a positive one from the Gunners with Mesut Ozil having one of his best games this season and Ainsley Maitland-Niles yet again stepping up in a big game, but with Unai Emery keen to get his team to play his way of football, it’s pretty damming that the XI are still occasionally playing Wenger’s style of football.

We have seen countless times this season when Arsenal stick to Emery’s plan, goals and fluid attacking football are a given, but through the cracks that are there under the Spaniard’s system we have seen the team resort to the ways of old under Wenger, and the sooner this is weeded out of the club the better.

There’s no doubt that Wenger’s style of winning in a flashy and sometimes beautiful fashion revolutionised English football, but in the modern era, that style of football does not win you titles unless you are willing to adapt it, which is why it is important for Emery to filter out that style at Arsenal.

The Gunners have a good future under the former PSG manager, but if the team aren’t willing to shake off the ghosts of the past, then Arsenal as a club will not progress.

Arsenal fans, what have you made of Emery’s tactics this season?

Pressure’s on now: Sunderland fans gutted by Saturday’s League One results

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s League One action, and they’re absolutely gutted about Barnsley’s late winner.

Sunderland did not play on Saturday due to multiple players being drafted away on international duty, but even without taking part in the action the Black Cats still suffered.

Portsmouth moved above Jack Ross’ side with a win at Shrewsbury and Luton Town extended their lead at the top with a comfortable home victory against Doncaster.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Most gutting of all though, Barnsley nicked a very late winner against Walsall to move five points clear of Sunderland.

It looked like the Black Cats’ main rival for that second automatic promotion spot had blown their chance to put some space between the two sides, but Jacob Brown poked home in the 92nd minute.

Of course, the Wearsiders have two games in hand on the Tykes so their fate is still under their control, but Saturday’s results heap way more pressure on Ross’ side to win their games in hand.

That late winner from Brown could ultimately be a hugely damaging setback for the Black Cats, or at least that’s what the Twitter reactions down below think…

Tottenham fans troll Kyle Walker after previous tweet

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have trolled right-back Kyle Walker after Spurs beat Manchester City 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were roared on by a raucous home crowd and downed the Premier League champions thanks to Son Heung-Min’s excellent second-half strike.

The two teams will meet again in Europe next week at the Etihad Stadium before playing each other in domestic action.

City, of course, will need to win by a two-goal margin if they are to progress to the semi-finals in regulation time.

And Spurs fans have taken to Twitter to remind Walker, their former right-back, of his reaction to the Champions League draw when it was made.

Indeed, he tweeted “this will be fun” after the two sides were paired together, having spent a total of eight years in north London.

And a number of fans were quick to dig out the old tweet on Tuesday evening after the final whistle blew at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Clearly, the supporters were revelling in Walker’s misery after a poor night for the full-back and his City teammates.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

عاجل | بي إن سبورت: تأجيل مباراة الزمالك والرجاء في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

كشفت تقارير اعلامية، النقاب عن قرار الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بشأن مباراة الزمالك والرجاء البيضاوي المغربي في ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال افريقيا.

وكان مسؤولو الرجاء قد تقدموا بطلب للكاف من أجل تأجيل مباراة الإياب التي كان مقررًا لها السبت المقبل، بعد إصابة 8 لاعبين بفيروس كورونا (كوفيد 19).

طالع أيضًا | مرتضى منصور يحدد شرطًا واحدًا لـ تأجيل مباراة الزمالك والرجاء

وقالت شبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورت” الناقل الحصري لبطولات الكاف، وفق مصادر لها، إن الاتحاد الإفريقي قرر تأجيل المواجهة المرتقبة حتى نهاية الشهر الجاري.

وكتب الحساب الرسمي للكاف في تغريدة عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”: “مصادر beIN SPORTS، تأجيل مباراة نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا بين الزمالك والرجاء إلى 31 من الشهر الجاري.. وتحديد الـ6 من نوفمبر موعدًا للنهائي”.

يذكر، أن الزمالك قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز ذهابًا بهدف دون رد على نظيره الرجاء في المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب مركب محمد الخامس بكازابلانكا.

A boost in the title race? Manchester City fans are happy with this international break news

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Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter in good spirits after it was revealed that ten key first-team players would be missing out on international duty with their respective nations.

John Stones, Fabian Delph, Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Nicolas Otamendi, Sergio Aguero and David Silva are all set to stay at the Etihad Stadium during the international break for various different reasons.

What is behind Liverpool’s recent title race slip ups? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video above…

At this stage of the season, it is pivotal for the Citizens to keep everyone fresh in order to keep up with Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title – Pep Guardiola’s men are now two points behind the Reds, albeit with a game in hand.

City have just eight games left, and whilst their squad depth is impressive, they need their main stars fit if they are to defend their title.

Understandably, fans of the reigning champions on Twitter are glad to see that so many key players are set to miss out on international duty…

He’s got to be joking: Manchester United fans ridicule Romelu Lukaku after agent’s comments

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to ridicule Romelu Lukaku, after Federico Pastorello – the striker’s agent – told Sky Sports that his client ‘sees himself in La Liga one day’, and mentioned Real Madrid and Barcelona as potential destinations.

Lukaku has scored 15 goals this season, with 9 of them have coming since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped into the managerial hotseat.

Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…

Despite his respectable tally, his overall play has mainly been the source of mockery throughout the current campaign, where his woeful first touch and inability to finish simple chances at times have led to fans insulting his talents.

It goes without saying that Real Madrid and Barcelona are arguably the two biggest clubs in the world, and can attract almost any player that they want.

As a result of that, Pastorello’s comments have led to United fans finding the quotes to be of some humour, as seen by their replies on Twitter…

Leyton Orient: O’s must do everything to keep hold of Dan Happe

The good times at Leyton Orient look to have returned after a few seasons of misery.

Sitting pretty at the top of the National League table with two games in hand and with a visit to Wembley in the FA Trophy final on the horizon, fortunes have turned for the better for the historic east London club.

And the performances of the players are catching the eye of some big teams with the Sun reporting that centre-back Dan Happe is subject to interest from Wolves, Brighton and Norwich for the 20-year-old defender despite making just 11 appearances for Orient this season.

Now an England C player, Happe has been a regular starter in the Orient team in place for Josh Coulson, who has been out of the O’s team with a hamstring injury, and his mature performances in the first-team resulted in the defender being nominated for the club’s Player of the Month for both January and February.

With 12-months left on his contract and big clubs sniffing around for his signature, Orient must do everything in their power to keep hold of Happe, even if they are offered the £200,000 the club value him at according to the Sun.

Happe’s rise from bench player to a vital first-team starter this season has been a story that the fans have loved, and his performances at the back in the second half of the season are a huge part as to why Orient are in a good position to return to the Football League.

The towering English defender has come up through the club and will likely want to remain with the club should they win promotion to League Two and see if he can handle the quality and pressure of competing in the Football League, and Orient should act on this ambition by offering the youngster a new contract.

His performances alone this season already warrant a new deal, but with interest from big clubs now added into the mix, Orient have to act quickly to sign up their new hottest prospect as a sign of ambition as they continue their rebuild to the Football League.

Orient fans, should the club keep Happe at the club despite Premier League interest? 

Which of Leeds’ wonderkids could be next to stake their claim as a first-team regular?

Despite Leeds United’s first team seemingly stuttering in their quest for promotion to the Premier League, their under-23 side showed no sign of slowing down as they marched to the Professional Development League North title on Monday evening.

A 2-0 win at Colchester United was enough to hand Carlos Corberan’s men the club’s fifth development league championship, following Burnley’s 3-2 defeat at Bristol City earlier in the day.

The club has a history of offering opportunities to young players, including current first-team regulars Jack Clarke and Kalvin Phillips. So, who could be next to make the step-up?

Ryan Edmondson

Having already tasted first-team action with two senior appearances, Edmondson’s brace at Colchester will certainly have given Head Coach Marcelo Bielsa food for thought with eight huge games of the Championship season remaining.

The 17-year-old has now netted 14 times for the under-23 side this season and his physicality could provide a different option to first-team regulars Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford.

Mateusz Bogusz

Poland under-20 international Bogusz missed Monday’s title-clinching win due to his national team commitments, but he has consistently demonstrated his capabilities since his January move from Ruch Chorzow.

At just 17, the midfielder has already spoken about how he trains with the Leeds first team almost every day and his range of passing, link-up play and eye for goal has caught the attention of the Leeds faithful during his short time with the Whites.

Hugo Diaz

Under-23 captain Diaz has already flirted with the first team after making his debut against Preston at the end of last season.

The former Deportivo La Coruna defender has been one of the standout players this season with some impressive recent displays, including a man-of-the-match performance against Bolton which led to calls for a step back up to the senior team.

Aapo Halme

Another to have missed the Colchester game due to an international call-up, Halme is seemingly on track to becoming a first-team regular.

The Finland under-21 defender has made five appearances for the Whites this season, including in an FA Cup tie at QPR where Halme claimed his first Leeds goal.

With Pontus Jansson struggling with injury, and uncertainties over Gaetano Berardi’s reliability, there have been several calls for Halme’s inclusion in this weekend’s crunch battle versus Millwall.

بينهم جريزمان.. برشلونة يبدأ مفاوضات تجديد عقود رباعي جديد

يتفاوض 4 لاعبين من برشلونة الإسباني، على تجديد عقودهم مع الفريق الكتالوني في الموسم الجاري.

وبحسب شبكة “ESPN” تأتي هذه المفاوضات كجزء من إجراءات خفض الرواتب، في ظل تأثير وباء كورونا على الوضع الاقتصادي للنادي.

ويؤكد التقرير أن ثنائي البارسا، فيليب كوتينيو وأنطوان جريزمان، من بين اللاعبين، الذين يتفاوضون على عقود جديدة.

ويجري سيرجيو بوسكيتس وسيرجي روبرتو، محادثات أيضًا بشأن تجديد الشروط حيث يواصل برشلونة البحث عن طرق للحد من التداعيات المالية لوباء كورونا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير تكشف تطورات حالة جوردي ألبا قبل مباراة الكلاسيكو

وكان برشلونة قد أعلن عن تجديد عقود رباعي الفريق جيرارد بيكيه ومارك أندريه تير شتيجن وفرينكي دي يونج وكليمنت لينجليه بالفعل (طالع التفاصيل).

وأكد برشلونة أن العقود الجديدة للرباعي تتضمن تعديلاً مؤقتًا للراتب بسبب الظروف الحالية التي أحدثتها أزمة فيروس كورونا.

وقالت مصادر لـ “ESPN” إن هذا يعني أنهم قبلوا تخفيض أجورهم لموسم 2020-21 ولكن سيتم دفع أجرهم في السنوات الأخيرة من عقودهم الجديدة.

ويتفاوض كوتينيو وجريزمان، اللذان تستمر عقودهما حتى 2023 و 2024 على التوالي، على تعديل مماثل لعقودهما، مما سيساعد النادي على خفض الإنفاق لهذا الموسم.

Norwich City prodigy set to become bargain Liverpool star

Liverpool are looking to repeat their success with Andrew Robertson and Georginjo Wijnaldum by plotting move for £10 million-rated Norwich City star.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are keen on recruiting Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey this summer, with a club source revealing that Liverpool recruitment chief Michael Edwards has been keeping close tabs on the defender sending scouts on regular trips to Carrow Road this season.

The versatile player, who is valued at £3.15 million (by Transfermarkt), possesses all the characteristics of an accomplished modern defender and can operate in defensive midfield as well as central defence and left-back and has become a stalwart presence in the starting line-up since making his first league appearance in December.

It is likely that Norwich City will be incredibly keen on keeping the player as they look almost certain to make the jump into the Premier League at the end of the season, but their resolve will certainly be tested come summer with Premier League clubs circling.

We can understand why Liverpool are so keen on the player having already seen a number of their low-profile signings excel at the top level. Particularly Andrew Robertson, so FSG could pull off another masterstroke by bringing the Norwich City man to Anfield.

The flying Scotsman made his start at Dundee United before being recruited by Hull City, where he enjoyed an incredibly impressive three years – at least, in a personal sense – before being recruited by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to fill a gaping void at left-back.

Indeed, Robertson is the perfect example of why Premier League sides do not have to spend big to find a gem, and if Godfrey is anything close to hit touted quality, they have a star for the future.

Liverpool fans, would you prefer to see your club make big money signings, or take a punt on more potential hidden gems? Let us know in the comments

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